Angels and Demons
by anubislover
Summary: After a hollow attack leaves Hisagi injured and poisoned, it's up to Isane to heal him. But when he wakes up, he spills some secrets that she never saw coming. *Complete*
1. Chapter 1

Hi everyone! So, while I've been a fan of Bleach for the past few years, for the past month or so I've been on a major Bleach kick. As in a "can barely think of anything but Bleach, no matter how hard I try" kind of kick. I've especially fallen in love with the pairing of Isane and Shuuhei, who pretty much never get any fics devoted to them. So, I decided to try my hand at writing one myself. I hope you enjoy, and I hope you'll leave me with a nice review after you're done!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. That belongs to Tite Kubo. Well, I suppose I do own a bottle of bleach, but I don't think that really counts, does it?

Angels and Demons

It had been a vicious battle. A small team from 9th Company lead by Vice-captain Hisagi Shuuhei had been tracking some hollows that had been wreaking havoc in the Rukongai, but had been ambushed. Hisagi had managed to defeat them without any casualties, but there had certainly been some severe injuries, with himself and a handful of others being poisoned by one hollow's claws. Everyone had agreed that Hisagi had gotten the worst injuries, with a large slash across his chest, a deep gash in his sword arm, and several cracked and broken ribs. It was for that reason that 4th Company's vice-captain, Isane Kotetsu, had been bent over Hisagi's nearly lifeless form for over an hour, trying to draw out the toxins and heal his profusely bleeding injuries while Unohana-taichou created an antidote.

To her great relief, Hisagi finally began to stir, his eyes opening halfway as he peered at her. His mouth turned into a small, lazy smile. "Are you an angel?"

Isane jumped a bit at the sudden and unexpected question. Her kidou flickered for a moment before she managed to regain control. She stared at him in surprise. "No, Hisagi-fukutaichou, I'm not. Now please hold still. I need to finish drawing out the remainder of the poison and healing your injuries. You've lost a lot of blood, and even if I get most of the poison out you still might suffer its effects unless we get you an antidote."

The lazy smile stayed on his face. "Are you sure you're not an angel? You're so pretty and warm."

Isane blushed a bit, then noticed how his eyes were glazed over. _Possible effects of the poison? Probably. I'll have to let Taichou know that the patients become delusional._ She decided to indulge his fantasy until someone could come by to deliver her findings. Smiling softly, she replied, "Positive, but thank you. That's very kind of you to say." Her smile then melted into a frown. _It figures that the only time a man would compliment me like that is when he's under the effects of blood loss and poison._

Hisagi noticed her change of expression. "Why are you frowning? Don't frown! Angels shouldn't frown!"

She had to laugh at the change of tone. He sounded almost like a pouting child! It was adorable, and the smile found its way back onto her face. "It's nothing, Hisagi-fukutaichou. Don't worry about it."

"Call me Shuuhei."

Her eyes widened. "Oh no, I couldn't!" Never in her wildest dreams had she ever thought she would hear Hisagi ask her to address him by his first name. He was always so polite and formal to everyone, always calling them by their names and titles. Only his closest friends were privileged enough to call him Shuuhei, and even then most continued to call him "Hisagi-san." It was beyond comprehension for her, as they rarely spoke outside of meetings or healing sessions.

"Sure you can! Your voice is so pretty and soothing, I'd love to hear it say my name! Please? It'd make me so happy," he pouted, sticking out his bottom lip for emphasis.

Isane bit her own lip, partially out of indecision, and partially to keep herself from leaning down and kissing it. She'd developed a bit of a crush on him years ago, but she'd always been too shy and insecure to act on it. _And I'm certainly not going to now when he'd too out of it to know what he's saying!_ She sighed. "If you insist, Shuuhei-san," she murmured. If names had a taste, his would be bittersweet, as while she found it quite enjoyable, the knowledge that he would never actually allow her to speak his name with so much familiarity left her with a bitter aftertaste.

He gave a triumphant but drowsy grin. "Much better, pretty angel. Now why were you frowning?"

Before Isane could come up with an excuse, there was a knock on the door. A woman poked her head in. "Fukutaichou, I brought you some fresh water and bandages. How is he?"

Hisagi looked over at the new arrival. "Shhhhh! Hospital zone, no singing!"

Both women chuckled lightly. Isane finally stopped pumping kidou into his system and gratefully accepted the bandages. "He's a bit delirious from the poison and blood loss, but he should be ok once Unohana-taichou finishes that antidote. How's it coming by the way?"

"Taichou says she should be done with it within an hour. A few other troops have woken up, so she's aware of the poison's affects. Is there anything else you need?"

At that moment, Hisagi became distracted by the small braids hanging from Isane's silver hair, batting at them like a cat would a dangling piece of string. She giggled and gently swatted his hand away, starting to wrap his injured arm with the fresh bandages. "No thank you, Akane-san. If you could please check on the other patients, however, I'd be very appreciative."

"Hai! Right away, Fukutaichou!"

With that, the young woman left the two vice-captains alone. Finishing with his arm quickly, Isane helped him into a sitting position and got to work on his torso. _He's just a patient, Isane. You can do this,_ she thought, trying to keep down the blush that was beginning to spread across her cheeks at the sight of his naked chest.

"I like you," he said suddenly, a dopey grin on his face.

Again Isane was startled. "You do?"

He nodded. "Yeah. You're pretty and soft and warm and you don't shout or order people around or betray them…" he trailed off, the grin melting into a frown like butter in a frying pan.

A small frown marred her own pale face. _Tousen_, she growled in her mind. His betrayal had probably been the biggest shock in her mind. He had always been so calm and devoted to justice, and she had enjoyed trying out the various recipes he had published in the _Seireitei Communication._ Aizen's betrayal had been a blow to the Gotei 13, but she felt that Tousen's had been a blow to justice itself. She took a calming breath and said, "I'm sorry. Tousen was wrong to betray us all like that, but it was unforgivable for him to turn his back on the people who cared about him the most." Images of Komamura-taichou, unmasked and injured, lying on the infirmary bed, lost in the crippling memory of his best friend's betrayal flashed through her mind. It had hurt to see such a good man suffer like that, regardless of his appearance. The same went for Hisagi. "You didn't deserve something like that."

He looked at her, pained eyes almost pleading. "Then what do I deserve?"

"Happiness, friendship, love, loyalty, and everything that's good in the world," she said, her voice filled with honesty and conviction.

"I'll never have that," he mumbled, shaking his head dejectedly.

Finishing with the bandages, she helped him lay back down. She graced him with a tender smile. "You already have them. You have Kira-san, Renji-san, Iba-san, and Komamura-taichou, just to name a few of your many friends. You have loyal troops and fellow officers, and each and every one of them would be willing to fight and die alongside you. As for happiness, things may seem bleak at the moment, but the clouds always clear up after a storm, and the sky is more brilliant and blue than ever afterwards." The light blush once again came to her cheeks. "And you certainly have your fair share of admirers, so I'm sure you'll find love soon enough."

"Don't want any of them."

She cocked her head, confused. "What?"

"My admirers. I don't want any of them. I only love one person in this world, but she'd never love me back! She's too good for someone like me!"

He smile almost fell from her face, but she forced it to remain for his sake. Everyone knew of his crush on Rangiku. Hell, almost every man in the Seireitei had a crush on her. The two women got along quite well, but Isane couldn't help but feel an uncharacteristic surge of jealousy at the thought of the two of them together. Still, her self-appointed job was to comfort him, even if it broke her heart to do it. "I'm sure Rangiku-san will come around…"

Hisagi actually laughed. "Not her! I like her, and I think she's hot and all, but I'm not in love with her!" He flinched, his laughing fit having strained his tender ribs.

She placed a steadying hand on his chest, trying to ignore the hard muscles beneath her palm. "Settle down, Shuuhei-san. I apologize for assuming. But if it's not Rangiku-san, who is it?"

"Nuh-uh! Not gonna tell you. You'll have to guess!" He actually seem excited at the idea of a guessing game, and with her own curiosity peaked, she decided to indulge him.

"Is it Yoruichi-san?"

He shook his head. "Don't like cats. I'm more of a dog person."

Her smile became a little more genuine. _Well, he does hang out with Komamura-taichou a lot, so I suppose that makes sense. _"Rukia-san then?"

"She's too short. 'Sides, Renji would kill me! He's had a major crush on her for years."

Isane tucked that little bit of information away in her head. She wasn't a gossiper, but she did like to tease Renji on occasion. They'd been friends since he was in 11th Company, as he'd often ended up in the infirmary after his intense training sessions with Ikkaku. It was always her job to fix him up, and the two had struck up an odd sort of friendship because of it. Rukia was certainly a lucky girl.

She turned back to the matter at hand. She was essentially done healing him, as the only thing left to do was to administer the antidote to deal with any remaining long-term effects of the poison, but the conversation had intrigued her. _Besides, _she thought a bit dejectedly, _when else will I be able to speak to him so casually and so honestly? We never talk this long when he's in his right mind. I want to enjoy this while I can._ A thought suddenly struck her, and a small, mischievous grin graced her lips. "Then I suppose Yachiru is out of the question then?" she teased.

A look of shock and horror spread across his face before he realized she was kidding. He chuckled. "I didn't know angels could joke."

"I told you, I'm not an angel." She shook her head a bit sadly. He still didn't recognize her? She wasn't sure if she should be offended or grateful. After all, the last thing she needed was for him to be even more distant from her than before because he had told her his deepest secret. A sudden sting of guilt hit her. She was taking advantage of his toxin-induced relaxed and unaware state to find out who he was in love with. That was a low she never thought she'd hit. She wasn't going to give up, though. As guilty as she felt, she was in too deep to pull out now, and if she was going to be wracked with guilt, she might as well finish what she'd started. And she just had to know. "Give me a hint at least. Tell me what you like about her."

The goofy grin was back, and his eyes became more dazed than before. "Well, she's beautiful, calm, and smart."

"You do realize that Kyoraku-taichou will kill you if he gets wind that you like Nanao-san, right?" she said, raising an eyebrow. The 8th Company captain didn't like to fight much, especially without a good reason, but it was sort of an unspoken rule amongst the Shinigami that no one hit on his lieutenant unless they desired a slow and painful death. If Nanao didn't kill you, her captain and number one admirer would.

Hisagi seemed to be thinking the same thing. "No way! I don't have a death wish!"

"Good to know. I'd hate to think I had spent all this time healing you for nothing. I get enough with 11th Company." They both laughed. "What else can you tell me about her?"

The dreamy look was back. "She's kind, gentle, and an amazing healer."

_He loves Taichou?_ Isane thought, her eyes widening. "Shuuhei-san, that may be even more dangerous than asking out Nanao! Kenpachi asked Unohana-taichou out last month, and they've been dating ever since. I'm very sorry."

Again he laughed, jostling his injuries and reopening the cut on his chest a bit. "I know that! He's a braver man than I'd given him credit for! Certainly braver than me! Even if I did love Unohana-taichou, she scares me too much for me to ask her out." He smiled at Isane. "It's not her, though. Guess again."

The timid healer shook her head in defeat, once again using kidou to close the wound. "I give up, Shuuhei-san. I can't think of anyone that matches your description."

He pouted a bit. "No one ever guesses right! She never gets noticed like she should be! You'd like her though. She's a lot like you, 'cept she's not as blurry or glowy. Her name's Isane, and she's the most beautiful person I know." His expression turned sad. "But she'd never want me."

The woman in question was completely taken aback. "Never want you? What in the name of the Spirit King would make you think I," she caught herself just in time. _If he knows it's me, he'll never forgive me! _"…I mean she, wouldn't want you?"

He chuckled humorlessly, not noticing her near slip. "I'm not good enough for her. She'd never want a scarred, ugly loser like me."

"Shuuhei, you are most certainly not a loser! You are one of the most loyal, courageous, amazing men I have ever met, and I know she'd agree with me!" She gently touched his face, running her fingers over the three vertical scars over his eye. She hadn't even noticed that she had stopped using the suffix in his name. "And do you really think she cares about your scars? She's a healer and a Shinigami, she's seen lots of scars much worse than yours. They show you survived, and they're part of who you are." She smiled softly, her heart fluttering nervously like a bird in a cage at the words she would say next. "If anything, these scars make you even more handsome, and I have it on good authority that she thinks the same way."

If anything his frown deepened. "She deserves better than me. A goddess like her should have a king or something, not a monster like me," he growled, clenching his fists.

Her brow furrowed. "Monster? You? Not possible."

"Yes it is! I'm a monster! How else can you explain my zanpakuto? Kazeshini is a bloodthirsty demon! He's vicious and evil and has no regard for human life!" He shouted, struggling to get up. Isane managed to hold him down with strength she didn't know she possessed, not wanting to risk him reopening any more of his wounds. He settled for glaring at his sword, propped against the wall in the corner, as if it were mocking him. "Zanpakuto are supposed to be a refection of ourselves, right? So how can you look me in the eye and tell me that I'm not a monster?"

"Because you care." His head snapped back to look at her, eyes wide and unbelieving, and she wondered if the poison was still making him delusional. But she continued anyway, knowing this might be her only chance to tell him her feelings. "If you were like him, you wouldn't care about the fact that you're a monster. In fact, you'd embrace it. I may not know you very well, Shuuhei, but I've always admired you. You never kill unless necessary, you'd rather die than let your comrades get hurt, and you are a loyal friend. You're a good man, Hisagi Shuuhei, and I refuse to let you think anything different!"

His eyes began to droop. His outburst had drained him of his remaining energy, and it was now obvious that the lingering poison was taking its toll on him. Isane sighed sadly and brushed his tousled hair out of his eyes. He looked at her as he drifted off to sleep.

"Why are you frowning, angel?"

Isane waited until she was certain he was asleep, then stood up and walked to the door. She turned her head and stared at him sadly before whispering in a voice so quiet even a bloodhound might have missed it, "Because I love you, and you'll never realize it." Flicking off the light, she silently left the room.

Little did either Shinigami realize that Kazeshini had heard the whole thing.

XXX

So, that was my first Bleach story! Yay! I'm not sure it's my best work, but it was an idea that wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it, and once I wrote it I figured "What the heck? The world needs more Isane/Shuuhei love!" I'm planning on adding a second chapter to this, but I'm not sure when, so it could be a while. I may also revise this chapter, so if you have any suggestions for either, let me know. Either way, I hope you enjoyed, and I hope you'll review.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: If I owned Bleach this couple would be cannon. Nuff said.

Chapter 2

It had been almost a week since the hollow attack, and Hisagi had been up to his ears in paperwork. Three days in the infirmary had caused him to fall behind on his already overwhelming workload, but thanks to several all-nighters he was finally almost done. The sun was slowly sinking behind the horizon, the dimming light peeking through the windows giving his office a warm orange glow as he signed the last form for the day. Glancing down at the newly-completed form requesting a joint training session with 7th Company, he felt it was time to take a break. With the upcoming war everyone was busy, so he hadn't had the chance to see many of his friends. Komamura had visited him in the hospital, but that was about it. Grabbing the paper, he made his way to the 7th Company barracks. He easily could have ordered one of his subordinates to deliver it, but he felt this was a perfect opportunity to visit Komamura and Iba.

With a quick shunpo, Hisagi arrived at the captain's office. It was getting late, but he knew that the large captain would still be there, finishing his own paperwork. What surprised him was the sound of excited voices from inside, as neither captain nor lieutenant were known to entertain company, at least not in their office. Cautiously he knocked on the door, hoping he wasn't interrupting anything important.

"Come in, Shuuhei," the great wolf's voice called out. He smiled. Komamura could always tell it was him, even if he was trying to hide. He wasn't sure if it was because he could hear his footsteps, smell him, or if he was just particularly adept a sensing his reiatsu, but he never bothered to ask, not wanting to offend the captain. Sliding open the door, Hisagi found what was causing all the commotion.

"Hisagi! Long time no see!" said a grinning Renji, turning from his conversation with Kira and Iba.

Hisagi blinked in confusion. "What are you guys doing here?" he asked, handing the form to Komamura.

"Oh, just thought we'd all get together and chat." He strolled over and clapped him hard on the back. Hisagi winced as the shock reverberated through his still tender ribs. "But enough about us! We should be talking about you! Congratulations, man!"

Wrinkling his brow in confusion and slight pain, Hisagi turned to his red-haired friend. "Congratulations? For what?"

"For finally being a man and telling Kotetsu-san how you feel!" called Iba from his desk. He was grinning so widely his sunglasses looked like they were about to fall off.

Kira nodded in agreement, a smile gracing his normally solemn face. "We're all very happy for you, Hisagi-san."

Hisagi's jaw dropped. He turned his questioning expression to Komamura. The captain, however, just looked happy, or at least as happy as a giant wolf could look. "Isane-san is a fine woman, Shuuhei. I'm glad you finally let her know how much you care for her."

Shaking his head, Hisagi started laughing. _This has to be some sort of joke,_ he thought. _That's it! They're all just trying to play a prank on me. Well I'm onto them._ He grinned back good naturedly. "Yep! I finally told Isane how I felt, how I'm madly in love with her and I want her to be the mother of my children, and we've decided to elope next week!"

Kira actually looked surprised. "Really? Wabisuke didn't mention that."

It was Hisagi's turn to look taken aback. "Wait, what? What does Wabisuke have to do with this? Guys, I was just going along with the joke."

The whole room went dead silent. Finally, Kira spoke up again. "Hisagi-san, we're not joking. Wabisuke told me that Kazeshini told him that you confessed to Isane-san a few days ago, after the hollow attack. He also mentioned it to Zabimaru and Haineko, so probably everybody with a zanpakuto knows by now."

The room again went still as Hisagi slowly looked at his sword. _What the fuck are they talking about, Kazeshini?_ he mentally growled to his zanpakuto, gripping the hilt like a vice.

The wind demon appeared in his mind, laughing. _**What, you don't remember? You were all doped up from the poison that hollow hit you with, and when Isane was healing you, you told her how you're totally and completely in love with her!**_

_I did no such thing!_ He frantically searched his memory, trying to figure out if his other half was telling the truth.

_**I'm not lying, Shuuhei. You just didn't realize it was her at the time. I think you said something about her being an angel or some shit.**_ The spirit grinned, amused at his master's shock. _**She sure seemed surprised, though! You should have seen the look on her pretty face. Just precious.**_

Hisagi could feel the rage and shame beginning to bubble up inside of him. He now vaguely remembered telling a glowing, blurry figure something about how he felt for Isane, but that was it. _Why the fuck didn't you tell me?_

Kazeshini actually seemed indignant. _**I **_**tried,**_** but you wouldn't listen to me! You never listen to me! So I decided to tell everybody else instead of wasting my time with you. I figured you'd listen to them at least.**_

_They didn't need to be involved,_ he tried to justify, but he was beginning to begrudgingly see the spirit's logic. Why oh why did his insane zanpakuto have to be right about this of all things?

_**Maybe not, but since you wouldn't listen to me, I had to let you know **_**somehow**_**, didn't I? I figured you deserved to know that you'd finally grown a pair and confessed to the woman of your dreams, even if you didn't know what the fuck you were doing. **_His expression turned lecherous._** Me? I would've pinned her down and screwed her senseless. What says "I love you" better than that?**_

He shuddered. It was a little creepy how the zanpakuto talked about her so sexually. _Don't talk about her like that!_

_**Hey, don't blame me! Didn't Kira say I'm just the manifestation of all your damn suppressed negative feelin's and urges? Maybe if you got laid I'd calm down a bit.**_

Before Hisagi could retort, he was interrupted by Komamura's deep, concerned voice. "Shuuhei? Are you alright?"

Snapping out of it, the vice-captain collapsed into a nearby chair and buried his head in his hands. "Oh Kami, I did tell her!" Before his friends could look too happy, he continued. "I told her while I was poisoned and completely out of it! I didn't even know who I was talking to! I might as well have told her while I was drunk!"

Kira patted his shoulder sympathetically while Renji rubbed his chin. "So, what are you gonna do? She knows you like her, but she also probably knows that you only told her 'cause of the poison and all that."

He groaned. "I don't know! Maybe I should just avoid her for the rest of my life."

Iba snorted. "Not possible. Even if you did somehow manage to never get injured or sick again, you'd still see her at vice-captains meetings and other events. In other words, you're screwed."

Komamura shook his head. "Isane-san is a good woman. I'm certain she will be more than understanding. You need to talk to her about this, she deserves that much." The captain's nose twitched and he held up his hand, preventing Hisagi from arguing. After a moment there was a light, awkward tap on the door. "Come in, Isane-san."

Hisagi wanted the floor to open up and swallow him whole. He watched as the door inched open, as if she wasn't using her hands. When the silver-haired healer finally began to come into view, it was obvious that she was carrying too much paperwork to open the door herself.

Also noticing this, Kira left Hisagi's side and kindly opened the door the rest of the way. "Would you like any help with those, Kotetsu-san?" he asked politely.

"Oh, no thank you, Kira-san. I've got this." She set them down on Komamura's desk. "Here are those reports you requested, Komamura-san."

The wolf smiled. "Arigato, Isane-san." His nose twitched again. "Are you using a new soap? It smells different than what you normally wear."

Isane blushed but smiled. "Hai. The shops ran out of my normal lilac soap, so I ended up buying some black raspberry and vanilla soap instead. I didn't think anyone would notice."

The captain smiled and nodded. "It's a very pleasant scent. You should wear it more often."

"Isane-chan! You look positively radiant today! How have you been?" Renji beamed, throwing his arm around the tall woman's shoulders. He gave Hisagi a quick glance. The scarred lieutenant looked positively murderous.

Despite his attempts to pretend he wasn't in the room, Hisagi found all the attention on Isane more than a bit infuriating. Kira helping her with the door was one thing, he was naturally polite like that. Komamura commenting on a new smell? Weird, but he knew that the great wolf had no real interest in Isane, at least not beyond friendship. Renji openly hitting on her though? Unforgivable. His blood began to boil, and releasing Kazeshini on him was beginning to look very enticing.

Ignoring the daggers Hisagi was glaring into his back, Renji continued. "You know, it's been so long since we've hung out, Isane-chan. We should get a drink and catch up!" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at her.

To her credit, Isane just laughed. "If I didn't know any better, Renji-kun, I'd say you were hitting on me!"

His sharp-toothed grin only got wider. "Oh? And what makes you think I wouldn't hit on a woman as amazing and beautiful you?"

Isane let a rather mischievous grin spread across her face. "Well, the fact that Rukia-san might find out and ruin any chance you might have with her, for one."

Hisagi stifled a laugh as Renji blanched. "How did you find out?"

Her grin only got wider. "Oh, I just heard it on the wind." She glanced over her shoulder at Hisagi, smiling a bit. "And how have you been, Hisagi-san? Have your wounds been bothering you at all?"

He stiffened, perspiration immediately beginning to drip down his forehead. He had not expected to see her so soon, and now her full attention was on him. He had no idea what to do! Should he call her by her given name? Should he talk to her about his drug-induced confession? Should he pretend nothing had changed between them? Kami she looked beautiful when she smiled. He had to say something, lest he end up looking like and even bigger fool than he already did. He finally settled on answering her question. "I-I'm fine, Kotetsu-fukutaichou. I've had no problems at all."

Her face fell a bit at the way he addressed her so formally. "Well, that's good, I suppose. But maybe you should visit 4th Division anyway. Some of your other troops who were in the attack have been experiencing some mild side effects, and you were hit the worst."

"Um, no thank you. I'll be fine," he said, refusing to meet her eyes. _Great, now what am I gonna do? _Hisagi thought, looking to his friends in hope that they would help him escape. No such luck, however.

"I agree with Kotetsu-san," Kira said. "You _were_ hit the hardest, and with all the paperwork you've been doing, I doubt you've been getting enough rest."

"Is this true?" Isane asked worriedly, slipping into full doctor mode. "You need proper rest, Hisagi-san, if you wish to be able to lead your squad to the best of your ability. What about nutrition? Have you at least been eating right?"

"Well…" the dark-haired lieutenant mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. The truth is when one was buried in paperwork, you usually lose track of time, and more often than not end up skipping meals. He occasionally would grab something quickly from the mess hall, but it was usually just a bowl of plain rice that he ended up forgetting about halfway through.

As if reading his mind, Isane began scolding him. "Hisagi-san, really! You need to eat more if you expect to heal completely! What if you were attacked right now? You wouldn't stand a chance! You're injured, you're not eating and sleeping properly, what's next? Are you going to tell me that you're training too?" Before he could confirm or deny this she cut him off. "You had better not! I get enough of that from 11th Division, I don't need you to be joining them on my idiot list! Now go back to the barracks, get yourself a decent meal, and get some rest!"

"But…"

Iba chose that moment to join in. "She's right you know. Your squad is counting on you, and if you don't get any rest, you'll just end up killing yourself. A real man knows when to take a break." Kira and Renji nodded in agreement.

Hisagi glared at his fellow lieutenants. _Some friends you are,_ he thought irritably. He turned back to the woman of his dreams. "Kotetsu-fukutaichou, I assure you I'm fine." _And I'll be even better once I get the hell out of here. Doesn't she realize what she's doing to me? The longer I hang around her, the harder it is to hold back my feelings!_

She shook her head, beaded braids sweeping through the air. Why did men have to be so stubborn? "No you're not, Hisagi-san. As a medic I simply cannot condone such disregard for one's health. Now please, go back to the barracks and get some rest!"

"I'm fine, damn it!" Hisagi shouted, knocking over his chair as he stood up, startling the gentle healer. "I know what I'm doing, so why don't you just back off?" Hisagi rarely lost his temper with anyone, especially with someone who was only trying to help, but he couldn't take it any longer. The stress of paperwork, finding out Isane knew his feelings, and his friends' badgering, combined with the four days of not sleeping and eating and his still-aching ribs had finally taken their toll on him. He'd snapped, and at the one person in the world that he had never even dreamed of getting mad at.

For the third time that day, the room was so quiet you could almost hear a heartbeat. The silence was broken when Isane finally turned away from him and breathed, "Fine. Sorry for caring, Hisagi-fukutaichou. I won't bother you anymore. Now if you'll excuse me, I have things to do." As she brushed past him, something small and wet hit his hand. When the door slammed closed, he realized what it was.

A tear.

He had made the woman he loved cry.

_Kami, what have I done?_ He thought, eyes wide as saucers.

_**I'll tell you what you've done, you fucking idiot! **_Kazeshini raged inside him._** You just lost any chance you had with the one woman who would actually give you the time of day! And for a fucking stupid reason, too! Kami, how the fuck did I end up with you for a master? First you're too scared to use me in battle, now you go and fuck up the one good thing you might have had in your life! Let me the fuck out now so I can slaughter you!**_

Before Hisagi could take him up on that suggestion, he was brought to his knees by a sudden blow to the back of his head. Glancing up after a moment of seeing nothing but stars, he found himself staring up at a sight he had prayed he'd never have to see. Komamura pissed off.

The captain snarled, showing off his ivory fangs and pointed at the door. "Go apologize to her right now, or that slap will seem like a spring breeze."

All the men in the room stared at the captain. Komamura rarely lost his temper, and almost never came to blows even when he did. And yet he actually slapped Hisagi, his friend, upside the head! But there was something in his eyes, a protective fierceness that was startling and awe-inspiring at the same time. And every one of them knew that if he had been trying to hurt him, he easily could have.

"Hai, Komamura-taichou. Right away," Hisagi said, shakily getting to his feet and darting out the door.

Nodding in approval, Komamura sat back down at his desk. A few moments later, the three lieutenants broke out of their stunned silence and turned to the captain.

"Taichou, not that he didn't deserve it, but why did you hit Hisagi-san?" Iba tentatively asked, fidgeting with his sunglasses.

Komamura didn't even glance up from his paperwork. "Because he needed some sense knocked into him. Isane-san is probably the best thing that could possibly happen to him, and I wasn't going to let him ruin his chance. And like you said, he deserved it." At this he looked up, a steely glint in his golden eyes. "After all, no one is permitted to make her cry, even a good man like Shuuhei. If he doesn't fix this, I will follow through on my promise."

Kira scratched his head. "I had no idea that you cared about her so much, sir."

"Yeah, when did you two get so close?" Renji interjected. Sure, he'd fought more than his share of people who had dared to upset his dear Isane-chan, but not even his bloodiest and most vicious battles for her honor could hold a candle to the ferocity Komamura showed in that one strike.

A gentle smile graced his features. "She's the woman who proved to me that I wasn't ugly."

So that's the second chapter! I had planned on this only being a two-shot, but this chapter ended up being more detailed and angsty than I had originally planned, so the next chapter will most likely be the conclusion. For those of you who are curious about what Komamura said at the end, I am currently writing a short one-shot explaining it. It won't add much to the plot, and it can stand alone, but the idea got into my head and now I have to write it, lest it drive me crazy. If you want me to post it, let me know. I hope you don't mind that Isane is slightly OOC, but there is a reason for that! I figure, timid as she may be, when dealing with patients or people that she cares for neglecting their health, she's willing to show some gumption and not take any crap. How else do you think she can deal with Squad 11? Hopefully I'll have the probably-final chapter up soon. Thank you to my wonderful reviewers; you're what drove me to write this! If you liked this story, please review so I'll know that this story is worth finishing. Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

The final chapter! Hope it lives up to it's expectations, I certainly had fun writing it! Also, due to some content, the rating has been upped to "T" just to be safe. Enjoy, and be sure to leave a review!

Disclaimer: If I owned, Hisagi would get his own series, and this pairing would be cannon! Sadly, it belongs to Kubo, but I can dream!

Chapter 3

As she ran through the woods, Isane wasn't sure what hurt worse: her straining lungs, her burning eyes, or her breaking heart. She hated herself for letting herself fall for him, for worrying about him, and especially for letting what he said get to her. It's not like she hadn't been yelled at before, she was used to patients, especially from 11th Company, yelling at her and disregarding her advice, but when it's from someone you care about, it just tears you up inside.

Finally stopping in a quiet clearing, she leaned against a tree and attempted to catch her breath. Chest heaving, she looked up at the sky to see the sky filled with stars. _Have I really been running for that long? _She wondered, eyes widening. She hadn't noticed it getting dark, being too focused on just getting as far away from the 7th Division barracks as she could.

Suddenly, she heard a twig snap behind her. Back stiffening, her hand prepared to draw her sword, unsure what could be lurking in the darkness of the forest. A wolf? A hollow? A man intent on killing heartbroken women?

Unfortunately for Isane, it turned out to be none of these, as Hisagi instead stepped out of the shadows, also breathing hard.

"Wow, I never realized you could run so fast! Guess that's one advantage to having long legs, huh?" he panted, hands on his knees. He's been following her for over an hour, and though he had plenty of speed and stamina, she'd still given him a run for his money. After finally filling his lungs with much needed oxygen, he looked up at her, trying to figure out what to say. She looked exhausted, with her silver hair disheveled, twigs and brambles sticking to her uniform, and her eyes red and puffy from the harsh wind and tears. Despite this, he couldn't get over how beautiful she still looked. Then again, she'd always been beautiful to him.

Still hurt from Hisagi's earlier words, Isane tried to turn away and continue running. Sensing her intent, he gently but firmly grabbed her wrist.

"Isane, wait-"

"Please, Hisagi-fukutaichou, just leave me alone!" she sobbed, tears once again prickling her eyes. She tried to jerk her wrist out of his strong grip, but he held tight. Realizing how futile her struggling was, she turned her head away from him, refusing to let him see the salty drops trickle down her smooth cheeks. He'd already hurt her once, she wasn't going to let him see how much he affected her.

Heart straining in his chest, Hisagi turned her body to face his, though she still kept her face hidden. His eyes narrowed at her rejection. "No! I'm sorry, but no, I won't leave you alone until I've made things right!"

She shook her head, still refusing to meet his eyes. "There's nothing to make right, Hisagi-fukutaichou. I shouldn't have-"

"Shuuhei."

"What?" she asked, so startled she forgot to not meet his eyes.

Expression softening, Hisagi quietly said, "I thought I told you to call me Shuuhei."

"You remember?"

Nodding, he loosened his grip on her wrist, idly stroking his thumb over her fluttering pulse. "A little. Not all of it, though." His eyes saddened, and this time it was him that wouldn't meet her eyes. "I remember telling you to call me Shuuhei, and that I inadvertently told you that I'm in love with you. That's the real reason I was so upset back there; I was ashamed, and I didn't know how to face you."

Isane bit her lip, her shoulders tensing as she finally pulled away. _So that's how it is, _she thought bitterly. "I see," she said softly, voice strained. "If it's such a problem, then I'll try to stay out of your way from now on."

Before she could walk away from him, Hisagi shunpoed right in front of her and grasped her shoulders. "That's not what I mean!" he said, beginning to panic. Why did he keep screwing up? Everything he said just seemed to make things worse! "I was ashamed of myself," he confessed. "I was ashamed that I was such a coward, that I had to be under the influence of poison to confess my feelings to the woman I've loved for years. And even then it was because I didn't realize it was you!" Hisagi ducked his head in shame. "I was a coward, and I was so angry at myself because of it, and because I couldn't even remember it, and instead of manning up and talking this whole thing over with you like an adult, I took my anger out on you, the one person in this world who doesn't deserve it! I'm so sorry, Isane. I'm so, so sorry!"

He finally looked up into her eyes, only to see her crying again. "Oh Kami!" He let her go and turned away, clenching his fists in frustration. "I'm so sorry! I keep making you cry, even when I'm trying to make things better! I don't deserve to even look at you!" He punched a nearby tree, his fist shattering the bark. "I'm a monster," he whispered, almost too soft for Isane to hear, but the unnatural stillness of the night allowed her to catch the pain-filled words.

Hisagi stiffened when he felt two gentle, slender arms wrap around his waist, but relaxed when her forehead came to rest on his shoulder. "You're not a monster, Shuuhei." The scarred man shuddered at the sound of his name on her lips. "Yes, you made me cry, but that time I was crying because I was so happy that you don't regret telling me your feelings."

The tall lieutenant was caught off guard when Hisagi broke out of her grip and turned towards her again, a determined look in his eyes. "No, I do regret it." Before she could even register what he was doing, he had his hands on her waist, pressing her chest to his, and he was looking directly into her chocolate doe eyes. "I told you, the only reason confessed to you then was because of the poison, but I'm going to remedy that." He smirked a bit at his unintentional pun.

Isane, meanwhile, just blushed, suddenly very aware of the heat of his body pressed against hers, the feel of his large hands on her delicate waist, and his spicy, masculine scent invading her nose, making her feel dizzy and lightheaded. She shivered as his face drew closer to hers, his warm breath caressing her cheeks. The darkness cast shadows over his defined features, but the rising moon and stars still provided enough light for her to see his three scars and defining tattoos. He was so close that she could see his pupils dilate, almost vanishing in his smokey gray eyes.

Hisagi's lips just barely brushed against her own, so light that for a moment Isane thought she had only imagined it. "I'm honestly more of a man of action than a man of words, at least when it comes to things like this," he murmured. Before she could ask what he meant, his mouth claimed hers, hot lips caressing hers, sending shock-waves down her spine and making her eyelids flutter closed. The kiss grew even more heated when he nibbled on her plump lower lip, causing her to let out a cute little gasp. His tongue immediately came out to soothe it before taking advantage of her parted lips, exploring her warm cavern and teasing her own tongue into action. Moaning into his mouth, her fingers buried themselves in his silky hair, eliciting a groan of pleasure from the male, causing him to clutch her tighter against him, allowing him to feel each and every one of her curves against his hard body. Her scent was invading his senses, and he found himself agreeing with Komamura; it was an amazing smell, rich and sweet and passionate. It was so perfectly _her_. He groaned again, kissing her even harder. She smelled so delicious, he just wanted to devour her right there, but held himself back. There were more important things to take care of first.

Finally releasing her mouth due to lack of air, Hisagi gently touched his forehead to hers. "I love you, Isane," he whispered, eyes never leaving hers.

She smiled and pulled him in for another kiss, but not before whispering back, "I love you too, Shuuhei." And at that moment, his name no longer tasted bittersweet.

XXXXXXX

Stirring as the morning sunlight hit his eyelids, Hisagi slowly woke up, but upon doing so found Isane still in his arms, head buried in the crook of his neck, still fast asleep. He smiled softly, fingers lightly caressing her pale cheek. They were in his bed, but both were still clothed, not wanting to rush their relationship. _There'll be plenty of time for _that_ later, _Hisagi thought, smirking a bit. His lips softened into a smile as the silver-haired woman snuggled even closer to his warmth.

He sighed and leaned back against his pillow. _So, did I redeem myself, Kazeshini? _he asked his zanpakuto.

The wind demon actually laughed. _**Yeah,**_ e_**nough for now, but you'd better not fuck this up again, Shuuhei! You do, and I'll slaughter ya!**_

Hisagichucked a bit. _Oh don't worry, I'm never letting that happen again. She's too good to let go._ He sighed and closed his eyes. He could put off paperwork for a few more hours. Besides, didn't Isane say he needed to get more sleep? He knew better than to go against the doctor's orders. And after that, he'd have to visit Komamura and the others to let them know he had set things right.

Pulling his silver-haired angel closer, he drifted off, already dreaming of his future with the beautiful woman in his arms.

The End.

Tada! My first Bleach story is finally complete! Oh don't worry, I'm already planning more Isane/Hisagi goodness, but I'm not sure when I'll get to do them. Either way, I'd certainly appreciate a review, and be sure to check out my Komamura/Isane friendship fic, "Captain Cute." Also, if anyone feels up to it, I'd love it if someone were to draw some Hisagi/Isane fanart! I checked Deviantart, and found maybe two pictures, so if anyone can draw, I'd love to see them! Thanks for reading, and please review! It lets me know that there are other Isane/Hisagi shippers out there, or that I'm at least doing a good job!


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